The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-02-05
LOS ANGELES LETTER.
The YanIas of Los Angeles The scarcity oi
water In the Metropolis ot southern
California 1t IL Obtained.
special Corrcspondencc.l

(AltfOrnlk ~ -
special Corrcspondencc.l
From the eastern seaboard TO the west
crn con fines of the great Mississippi valley
little or no inconvenience Is tclt In the pro
,.urrmcnt of an abundance OF nature
tiuid but when the broad extent OF aka
line sandy territory lying west OF the Con
iuCntdl Divide is crossed, the scarcity rs
We! ~ the full value of water becomes APP
parent Here, under tho brows OF we
coast range in the fruitful San GaoricI
valley, one would hardly say that water
was ata premium, yet such Is the case Al
the mo -ture, other than that OF heavy dew
received by the vast orchards anu V'nc-
wards Of this region, ~ obtained from the
mountains and in many instances pipcd a
distance Of five to ten miles. True, the
YIN I-mll industry in this country Is some
thing consid arabic, and By the aid OF mills
a lar ~ amount of wdt'r is dove Hoped. yet,
when the great cry Of the West Is Tor
water tn quantity thus obtained Is qultc
insignificant as compared with the demand,
Take for example, Il city sucl as Los
Angeles, located among the sandy foothills
of the "SicrraS, AMI fifteen miles from the
fountdiu-hrld, know that but three months
of the year covers the extent Of time in
winch may be expected any rainfall AMI
be informed that nearly onC-thrd her
population occupies an altitude Of from one
to three hun tired feet above the mean level,
and you will perhaps wonder how size gets
her water,
Let US 20 back into the mountains. Here
we enter one Of the many canyon, that
c!cayc the range and after having pcnc.
tratcd several miles up and into lt~ rock
streWu rCCCSsCs we come upon stream OF
water crystalline in its purity. This IL
formed from the melting SHOWS and
dripping rocks miles ahead and, acquiring
velocity with volume comes gurglmG and
ripping down with welcome music to the
thirsty traveller from the valley.
From this point we start upon our return
To the city via the Sankey' TdnlW
route This "Sankcy" would be termed by
a "tenderfoot' ditch, and such in fact, II
is 1t winds its scrpcutnc course along the
hillsides nearly fifteen miles before il
splashcs into the city reservoir situated
high up on hill in the outskirts of the
city. From this IL is distributed through
small wrought-iron pipes 10 the occupants
Of the lower levels, the upper being sup
piled from reservoir owned by private
wafer i'Il IdNs W litN H. - lllN ~ q HAN'A'Nl
altitude than the city's commands the pat
ronagc of the greater heights.
The cost to the consumer IS on an aver
age, one dollar and half per mouth for
each faucet employed, and at thus rate,
though poor the quality, water IS cheap IN
Los Angeles.
Water for The purpose of irrigation Is
obtained Of the surplusagc of the city rescr'
Vuir Il i mainly conducted through trcughs
and boxes with small sluCcs opening into
the orchards along the way, but in great
| many places runs like miniature river
through the city. Upon its banks very
| often may hc seen the swarthy 'scnora"
who comes down from her ''dOby" hard by
| TO avail h"rseli of the precious privilege OF
| free water for laundry use and while she
! leisurcly rubs out her modest supply oi
cut'ou-. iuhalny meanwhile the nicOtlaI
fumes Of her brown paper "cigarita,' hen
little "muchacha" ichild) rcgdlcs itself
with -plashiug with It's little brown feet the
muriy waters of the "saukcy.'
! HIRE also do the vdgabond ours Of the
highway lind sweet relief from the com
biucd tormcut4 Of fierce ,unrJya and raw
cuous toas
The "Xanja" is unlcrt constant super
vision If '.moXiclnu" who rides a mus
tang up aHd down its course carrying
across his saddle a long-handlcd shove
which Is his gn.a of the oflicc of "Ian
Iuu' lNaukdrol
II gives me pleasure to state that the oil,
system Of irrigation Is soon TO be- supple
mru'rd 10y d pjp".oys'rm proposed by Ill
organized company which VIII, It i
t,rr..L' r'Y,, "A GOOD -wlp'y ur lydtrr A